Anyone else hate the auto-stop feature of newer cars?

[honest.abe]

I get the idea that it perhaps saves gas and lowers emissions but at what cost?

I often feels is dangerous because there is short perhaps 1 second delay when taking off from a stop. Its unnerving especially when trying to merge into fast traffic or making a left into oncoming traffic.

I also just had an incident yesterday when it nearly didnt restart while waiting at a busy intersection. It took about 3 seconds to finally start. I think my battery was weak so I had it replaced. It now works fine. But imagine if it didnt restart there in the middle of a very busy intersection.

I dont have any proof but I suspect all the auto stops and starts is why my battery didnt last very long. My car is only 2.5 years old.

There is an option to turn it off but you have to do each time to start the car. There is no memory from previous status. So I often forget to turn it off. If car designers simply provided a way to turn it off and keep it off would solve the problem. Apparently some cars do that like the BMWs but not Honda which is what I have.

[CurtEastPoint]

1. I got one of those in a rental in Netherlands and it freaked me out.

I pulled over and went through the manual and turned it off. This was a few years ago and I don't recall the model but it 'stuck' so I only had to do it one time. I find it annoying plus your other considerations you mentioned.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

2. No.

[MineralMan]

3. Our 2020 KIA Soul has that.

I push the button every time I start the car. That shuts it off. I do not like the delay at traffic signals. I've noticed that people who use that feature often take a couple of second before they get going. that adds up when there's a lot of traffic. I've even missed a green light a few times, due to people not being able to drive on when the light turns green. So I turn mine off each time the car starts.

The reason it's not something you can turn off globally is that manufacturer city mileage estimates are done with that feature enabled. So, it's the default for it to be enabled whenever you start the car.

[honest.abe]

7. Yeah I had read it was something to do with epa standards.

But then why is BMW able to get away with turning it off. A colleague of mine who has a BMW told me there is an option to turn the default status to off. One time thing unless you physically turn it back on.

[jimfields33]

12. I don't see why they'd go against EPA regulations.

One reason of this feature is to save the environment. We can’t even do this small part? No wonder we’re failing as a collective.

[honest.abe]

13. I think there may be better more effective ways to save the environment.

Also what about battery disposal? I don’t have any proof or stats but I suspect batteries are not lasting as long due to all this auto stopping and starting. So that’s also an environmental issue.

[Happy Hoosier]

38. Why do you think this affects battery life?

It could, I suppose, but not dramatically. Besides, lead-acid batteries can and should be recycled.

[honest.abe]

40. Starting an engine is a heavy load on the battery.

In my daily commute, if I dont turn the thing off, it starts and stops more than 50 times. If I turn it off then maybe I start and stop 5 times.

Also my battery only lasted 2.5 years. In my previous cars (no auto stop) I would get about 5 years.

[Happy Hoosier]

49. So you got a bad battery?

I’m sure you know this, but your one experience cannot be extrapolated to a generalized conclusion.

Also it’s usually draining a battery that really stresses it. Those starts won’t seriously deplete the battery, unless the battery is already damaged, and it is recharged quickly by the alternator.

[honest.abe]

86. I never made any generalized conclusions.. just speculating.

However if you are stopping and starting a car engine 10x more than needed then its common sense the battery would be affected along with a number of other parts of engine.

[Happy Hoosier]

98. Common sense doesn't always translate

To reality is engineering. And I am an engineer. Lead acid batteries are damaged by being too deeply discharged, not repeated relatively shallow discharges. The alternator recharges the battery relatively quickly. The battery can be damaged by storing it not fully charged as well.

[honest.abe]

99. THINGS THAT CAN DRAIN YOUR CAR BATTERY

YOU'RE TAKING TOO MANY SHORT DRIVES.

Cranking the engine takes a tremendous amount of power from your battery, but as mentioned previously, the alternator recharges your battery while the engine runs. If you’re frequently going on short drives, though, the alternator might not have enough time to properly recharge your battery between pit stops — especially if you have an older battery. In the long run, frequent short trips can shorten your car battery’s lifespan.

https://www.firestonecompleteautocare.com/blog/batteries/things-that-drain-car-battery/#

[hunter]

51. If we want to save the environment we must rebuild our cities and society...

... in such a way that car ownership is unnecessary.

With the human population near 8 billion, this planet cannot support a car for every adult.

It's not just the cars, it's all the infrastructure required to support them.

[MineralMan]

22. Not on the KIA.

Some people wedge something in at the top of the button to hold it in place. That works, but it's also quite easy to get into the habit of pushing that button whenever you start the car. If you forget, you can do it the first time the engine shuts itself down. Not really a big deal.

I can't imagine that using the starter motor so many times is a recipe for long life for the starter. Maybe the battery, too. Anyhow, I disable the thing every time I drive the car. So does my wife.

[dalton99a]

4. You can buy a cable on Amazon to disable the auto stop function

Installation takes about 15 minutes. This is for a Chevy Silverado:


(YouTube)

[honest.abe]

9. Apparently there are a number of these devises out there.

It just bothers me to put something like that in the electrical system that isn’t recommended. I may end up doing it though.

[roamer65]

62. First see if your top L gear setting emulates D.

On my Chevy Cruze, L6 is D without auto stop/start. L6 uses all six speeds of my transmission, just like D.

[hunter]

48. That'll make your car flunk the smog test in California.

Before 2000 smog check places actually checked the integrity of emission systems and would stick a sensor into the car's exhaust pipe while it was running.

Now it's all done by computers. The smog check computer asks your car's computer if its emission control systems are all running within specs. If your car's computer says they're not your car doesn't pass. If the smog test technician sees anything sketchy under the hood your car doesn't pass.

Granted, there are a lot of technicians who, like Sergeant Schultz, see nothing, but it would take some sophisticated hacking to make a modern car's computer deceive the smog test computer.

I've only driven cars with the engine stop feature a few times and never in situations where it annoyed me.

The truck I drive is old, so old it requires an old-style smog test. There are only two places left in our city that can do those, all the other smog places have dumped the equipment required to test cars that are more than twenty years old.

I've driven hybrids and sometimes noticed a little hesitation as the gasoline engine is switched in and out but never enough to be alarming. Non-hybrids do that too, especially when an automatic transmission is switching gears.

[JanMichael]

85. They probably need to call those intrepid VW engineers. They know how to do everything.

[hunter]

101. Hah!

[Tickle]

5. Try changing lanes

on a high way with out using a blinker. It’s a struggle

I’m not advocating that people don’t use their blinkers

[bucolic_frolic]

6. Maybe that's why battery warranties have been so shortened

[Tommy Carcetti]

8. Mine has that as default mode.

First thing I do when I get in the car is turn it off.

I wish it was non-default. Only time I use is is during long traffic jams.

Feels like my car is constantly breaking down. So it’s just naturally unsettling.

[dalton99a]

14. I suspect newer vehicles won't last as long

Because of the extra wear on the starter, transmission and engine (although manufacturers claim there are new designs and materials that allow this kind of abuse... the starter was used a few times a day, now it's a zillion times a day)

[roamer65]

10. I have a 2017 Chevy Cruze and here is how I circumvent it.

Last edited Sat May 14, 2022, 12:37 PM - Edit history (1)

Here’s how to get around it on that car.

Shift down into the L gears, L1-L6. Push the button on the gear shift till you get up to L6. No more auto stop…

L6 is D without the auto stop.

This should work for most GM vehicles I would think.

[OnDoutside]

11. I love it, have had that feature for a decade (Ford cars) and it works great.

[marmar]

15. My Kia K5 does it and I've learned to like it.

And you can shut it off if you don't like it, at least you can on my car.

[Goonch]

16. Don't have that problem because my car is

26 years old

[dalton99a]

21. +1. There is more than one keyhole

And no bullshit warnings, and no alcohol detector (coming soon)

[CrackityJones75]

31. No alchohol detector is a good thing?

[Calculating]

90. Uh yeah

I like freedom from nanny state bs

[CrackityJones75]

95. Nanny state?

ok.

[Calculating]

96. Yeah

The government has no right to force me to prove I'm sober before my car will start. What if there's an emergency and the sensor breaks? How much will this ass to the cost of a car?

[CrackityJones75]

97. Riiiight.

Won’t someone think of the tiny number of emergencies that could possibly happen? And also not think of the number of people that are killed each year by drunk drivers?!?!?!

Your car has all sorts of sensors that could fail at anytime. That’s a weak argument.

[XanaDUer2]

23. Mine is 14 yrs old nt

[roamer65]

53. My 2006 truck and 2012 SUV don't have the annoyance and I love them for it.

I manually shut them off so they don’t needlessly idle. I am way more efficient at start/stop than the very stupid algorithm in my 2017 Cruze.

[Dial H For Hero]

102. My 2007 doesn't have that issue either.

[Best_man23]

17. Ask your repair shop if the car has a battery sensor

Some manufacturers include a battery sensor that monitors battery power, and will prevent the auto start-stop feature if the battery is weak. If your Honda has a battery sensor, it may not be working properly.

Another option is there are ways to "disable" the auto start, but that can get complicated to do and the procedure varies by manufacturer and sometimes model.

[NickB79]

18. Nope. But I drive a Prius

So stopping and starting, it's in EV mode.

[dalton99a]

43. Auto-stop is not a problem in EVs and hybrids

[DemocratSinceBirth]

19. I have a 2019 Kia Optima and gunned it at a green light.

For a second or so nothing happened. That was strange.

[MissB]

26. That would be unnerving

I have an EV so my acceleration is instantaneous and, well, rapid.

[honest.abe]

27. Yep. That has happened to me as well.

Its not just strange its dangerous.. imo.

[MichMan]

20. Consensus here seems to favor that disabling systems that increase fuel mileage is OK

[honest.abe]

28. If the system has serious flaws then yes.

[CrackityJones75]

34. What is the serious flaw?

I have read so far that one person thinks it might be bad for the cr.
Others don't like the way it feels.

What is the serious flaw?

I mean we know the benefit of using less gas.

[honest.abe]

39. Did you read my OP?

The flaws are described there. In addition I didnt mention toxic battery disposal also a potential issue due to shorten battery life. I think the main thing is it just feels dangerous and have higher risk of an accident in some situations.

[MichMan]

44. Mine works flawlessly

Your car sounds like it has an issue

[honest.abe]

45. Yes mine probably has a "serious flaw".

[Demsrule86]

41. Absolutely, if it is dangerous. I drive in the city. I couldn't possibly have something like that...

I would get killed in an auto accident...make it both safe and energy-efficient. I won't sacrifice the safety of my family.

[roamer65]

55. It's definitely dangerous in urban settings.

Sometimes that split second matters…a LOT!

[Demsrule86]

59. It really does...and it is dangerous on a busy highway as you can't move immediately.

[roamer65]

61. Only time I shut my engine off on a freeway or highway is if traffic is an extended dead stop.

No way would I dare even try to run this feature on a CA freeway, for example.

[roamer65]

47. It doesn't really increase fuel mileage that much.

I get 41 mpg on the highway with my 2017 Cruze.

That is what is truly saving gas.

A 1.4L turbo engine. That GM engine is amazing.

[BannonsLiver]

58. No the consensus is "get off my lawn dagnabit."

[sarisataka]

24. Interesting thread

It seems the majority are:

-I'm looking for a new car but gas is so expensive and I am concerned about how emissions affect climate change

*I have just the thing. This car comes with an auto-stop feature that shuts the engine off while you are stopped and not moving. It will save you gas and cut emissions.

-Great! Is there any downside?

*It can take a second or two to restart at a traffic light, so there is a small inconvenience.

-Nope, how do I turn that feature off?

FYI- I have driven a couple rentals with this feature and I have found that if you ease up slightly on the brake pedal you can activate the restart without disengaging the brakes.

[CrackityJones75]

35. +1

[obamanut2012]

25. No, love it

[SheltieLover]

29. If battery sits not fully charged it will sulphate & won't recharge properly

I use a Battery Tender, a battery maintainer, which works well for my application (maintaining my deep cycle AGM). There are certainly other brands, but I've had good luck with this one.

A car that turns off when I stop would freak me out. But, then again, my 2005 uses a real key, so there is that.

Best of luck!

[Zeitghost]

30. One more advantage

Of only driving cars with manual transmissions. No auto start/stop feature and no garbage CVT transmissions.

[dalton99a]

42. Auto-stop and CVT will send newer cars to an early grave

Manufacturers are counting on people switching over to electric vehicles before then

[Zeitghost]

56. Agreed

The high compression turbo charged motors used to get the impressive MPG levels while maintaining HP won't last either.

[ananda]

32. I have some kind of braking and warning features on my car.

It brakes some when I use cruise control,
and I get all sorts of warnings when I'm
backing up or moving out of my lane.

I really like these features!

[beaglelover]

33. Yes. When my cars had that feature I would always turn it off as soon as I started the car.

[mitch96]

36. I have a Mazda CX30 and you can enable or disable the auto stop/start

Once it's off, it stays off. I did not care for it...
m

[dalton99a]

37. Kick

[Talitha]

46. Am I the only one who's never heard of 'auto start/stop'?

Seriously, I had to look it up.

Sounds like a major PITA (for me, anyway) but I'm wondering - can you could get around it by quickly putting the car in park when you're at a red light?

[Xavier Breath]

57. You can circumvent it in a couple of ways.

You can put it in park to stop the cycle as you suggest, but an easier way is to just let off the brake for a second and then reapply the brake. It's smart enough (at least mine is) that it will discontinue once it realizes you're in a situation with frequent braking. Also, increasing the drain on the battery (upping the fan on the a/c, e.g.) while you're stopped will snap it out of it.

The model I wanted came with this particular feature. I didn't seek it out and I wasn't sure I would want it. But, after a test drive I realized I didn't much notice it. The car is quiet anyway, so shutting off and restarting isn't all that noticeable, especially with the radio cranked. At long stops I treat it like a game, trying to see how long I can go without releasing the brake and restarting it. When a light cycle can last two minutes-plus at a large intersection, all that saved gas is adding up.

[Talitha]

79. Thanks! My 2000 Envoy isn't going to last forever, so it's good to know these things.

[Basic LA]

81. This is the first I've heard of it, too.

I wondered why so many cars beside me at traffic lights were restarting their engines when the light turned green.

[Talitha]

84. Well it's good to know I'm not alone, lol.

I swear, I learn something new every day here in DU.

[roamer65]

50. If people want to truly save fuel wasted in useless idling.

Manually shut off the engine in fast food drive throughs when not moving. I do that consistently. I don’t let them just sit and idle needlessly, even in the winter.

[tanyev]

52. Yes, because when my previous car was in its death throes it would hesitate

when I pressed the accelerator after coming to a stop. Not every time, just enough to be really unnerving. Stranded me out in an intersection once. I had a rental with auto stop for a few days and I kept getting flashbacks of previous traitor car. I quickly trained myself to turn it off every time I started the car.

[SYFROYH]

54. I dont like it either.

[BannonsLiver]

60. Does anyone know the median age of DU?

[asa4ever]

80. I saw a poll a while back. It seems we are mostly middle age and above. I am 78.

If anyone has the poll it would be nice to see it.

[WarGamer]

63. You can disable it on most cars...

Yes... it annoys me.

I think the continued start/re-start must shorten the life of the starter motor...

[roamer65]

67. GM vehicle?

I get around it by using L6 instead of drive. L6 uses all six speeds of my Cruze transmission without the annoying stop/start.

[WarGamer]

68. That's clever...

My car literally has an on/off button that controls it.

[roamer65]

69. I wish I had one.

[WarGamer]

70. Maybe it's my formative years in the 70's-80's...

But every time I hear the starter motor "whir" I expect the next sound to be a click-click-click or that annoying grind!

Those things get impressed into our brains!!

[roamer65]

71. I have a classic car.

I know those sounds and try to avoid it like the plague.

[WarGamer]

72. Remember the "Give it 3 pumps of gas before turning the ignition"?

I'm really nostalgic for those days... even with the smell of gas in the car... loved that big bench seat in front with the polyester seat cover...

Ahhhhh the days.

Remember "wind wings"?

And when A/C was an option on cars?

[roamer65]

73. 1970 Chevelle.

Yup I remember most of it.

Big V8 power is what I miss most.

[WarGamer]

74. OMG

I had a 69 AND a 70 Chevelle.

The 69 was my first car, had a 350 engine. Blue with a black vinyl top with the chrome rally caps.

The 70 was primered but had the big block engine.

Either one would be worth 40k+ nowadays.

[roamer65]

75. 1969 and 1970 are expensive beasts now.

Those two years are the most popular of the Chevelle run.

Fun cars to drive, as you already know.

[WarGamer]

76. thx for the side discussion!! Nice to run into another "motorhead"...

[roamer65]

77. Np.

[ironflange]

87. I had a car that I had to stick a piece of wood. . .

. . .into the carburetor or it wouldn't start. A 1970 Ford Country Squire with the 401 in it. "The Shark."

[Lancero]

64. Back in my cars day, we called that a stalled engine.

Good old '00 Buick. The more wear and tear it gets, the more modern its features become.

[ecstatic]

65. I disabled it. It still makes a sound and flashes an alert when it thinks I need to brake

I also turned off lane keeping assist and something else that I don't remember. When I was at the dealership, I asked my sales guy if auto-brake ever makes mistakes and he mentioned a situation in which it did on a sharply winding section of the interstate in Florida. That confirmed my belief that I don't want my car making those type of decisions for me. I actually pay attention when driving, so it's not needed.

[ecstatic]

66. "Over 1.7M Hondas probed for unexpected automatic braking"

https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/17m-hondas-probed-unexpected-automatic-braking-83081055

[jmowreader]

78. I like it a lot

I never did like the idea that you have to sit at stoplights, drive-throughs etc., burning gas and pumping pollutants into the air for no fucking reason. On the VW Tiguan I have, the engine restarts when you start lifting your foot off the brake, so by the time you have the brakes far enough released that the car will move, it’s running.

My car also has the Adaptive Cruise Control, and this is really nice. There are two fun things that it does.

First, it has a radar in the car’s nose - the antenna is behind the logo on the grille - that measures the speed and distance of the car in front of you. If there is one, when you get to a certain distance behind him - you can choose the distance - it slows you down to his speed so you don’t run him over. If necessary it will slow you to a halt, like you’d need in rush hour traffic. If the car automatically stops, you just tap the gas pedal to resume driving.

The other is it displays the speed setting. You can program the speed you want while stopped, and once you reach 20 mph push the “resume” button and it takes you to that speed. This may only be available on VWs with the “digital cockpit” dashboard, but that’s in all new VWs. Two years ago it was only in the top trim levels.

[Lucid Dreamer]

88. Adaptive Cruise Control question

> My car also has the Adaptive Cruise Control, and this is really nice. There are two fun things that it does.

Thank you for bringing this up. Tell me if you have experienced anything like my friend describes.

My friend had an auto trip planned from MO to CO. His car breaks down before he leaves so he rents a new one.
The rental has "Adaptive Cruise" or something similar. I don't remember what model auto this was.

He experiments with all the new features on the trip.

His experience with ACC left him with doubts about its safety.

He had set it to follow a certain distance and some max speed. It worked well when he played with on freeways.
On "twisty" roads it worked ok... until on the case where he was "autofollowing" a car and there was a hard turn and the car in front "disappeared" and his car speeded up to resume set speed. He braked with his foot to slow down.
He did not use that feature any more. [Wife insisted and he didn't disagree.]

I didn't have an opportunity to follow up on this like I wanted to. [He is no longer living.]

Anybody have any similar experiences with cars autodriving into danger?

Thanx.

[jmowreader]

91. I've never been in the situation you describe, but manual braking would be prudent then

One thing I have noticed: you're following X person in the left lane of a four-lane road. X person pulls to the other lane and slows down. Your car will slow down too.

How long ago was this?

[Lucid Dreamer]

93. His experience was Summer of 2019.

I think it was a GM SUV of some sort.
He died in Jan 2020.

[Celerity]

82. I love it. nt

[whistler162]

83. According to Google my Subaru

I can turn it off

When you are on the home screen, push the car icon button to change the settings and then click on “Others,” allowing you to turn off the Auto Stop-Start system. The Auto Stop-Start on the new 2021 Subaru Forester, Outback, Legacy, and Crosstrek can be annoying, but it will save fuel if you live in an urban area.May 23, 2021

Subaru Stop Start The Worst New Gas Saving Feature Ever ...

[hamsterjill]

89. Yes. I despise it.

I’ve always driven with being attuned to the engine. I can tell if there’s something wrong with my car pretty quickly usually from the sounds and vibrations. I HATE the stopping and starting on the newer models. It’s got to wear on the battery and the starting process. There’s no way it can’t. And I’m not sure that I believe the fuel efficiency stuff because it uses fuel to start up over and over and over.

It’s dangerous as hell when you are trying to accelerate quickly.

[honest.abe]

94. Yes.. that's precisely how I feel.

[Calculating]

92. Awful idea IMO

Probably got required because the car repair shops and battery companies lobbies for it

[ChoppinBroccoli]

100. It's Just Part Of My Routine To Hit The Button Every Time

I bought a new car a little while ago that has that feature. I absolutely hated it, mostly because I could envision the toll it must take on the battery. I quickly found out it can't be set to off as a default, but all you have to do to turn it off is hit a button. It was kind of a pain, but now it's just the routine I do as soon as I start it. Start the car, hit the button that turns it off, hit the Audio button (to put the radio on the setting I like), then put it in gear. You get used to it after a while.

Maybe it saves a LITTLE gas while you're idling at a stop (I think this claim is questionable, actually), but as I said before, I can't imagine it's good for the battery to have to start the car that many times in a single trip (and usually with electronics running at the time it starts). In short, I hate the feature.